The present invention relates to a ratchet wrench and, more particularly, to a socket having a gear formed on an external portion thereof for use in a low profile wrench.
It is highly desirable to have a ratchet wrench to rapidly tighten and loosen fasteners and to do so without removing the wrench from the fastener. It is particularly advantageous for the ratchet wrench to have a low profile wherein the wrench is more easily used in confined spaces where the height of the combined wrench head and attached socket are factors in being able to tighten and/or loosen a fastener.
Low profile ratcheting wrenches are disclosed in the following:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor(s) ______________________________________ 747,500 Murch 896,607 Zeller Re 19,341 McNaught et al 2,570,779 Dodge et al 2,708,855 Fish 3,349,653 Kaufman et al 3,742,788 Priest ______________________________________
These wrenches further include a drive member having teeth around an outer periphery, the drive member engaging the fastener. In this manner, these wrenches differ from the more conventional ratchet wrench which have a gear formed with an external tang and a socket fitted to the tang so that the socket engages the fastener. However, a major disadvantage of these devices in that there are no interchangeable sockets or means to use the wrench with fasteners of differing sizes. The wrenches are useful with only one size fastener and a separate wrench must be used for a fastener of a different size.
The following disclose a wrench having teeth on the exterior of the drive gear with replaceable sockets or means to use the wrench with fasteners of different sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,300,479 to Wilson, discloses interchangeable heads. The heads are replaced by removal of a spring actuated pin from a bore. The lower end of the head is provided with an annular ring of ratchet teeth adapted to engage and cooperate with ratchet teeth formed on the circular lip of a bore in the body member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,044 to Harstad discloses a ratchet wrench sized to fit in an opening in the head. Ratchet teeth are located in a groove around the periphery of the cylinder and a pawl engages the ratchet teeth. A selected socket is inserted in the head opposite to a lip and the pawl lever is cleared from the cylindrical opening. When the pawl lever is released, the pawl engages the ratchet and retains the cylinder in the head.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,329 to Lock discloses a ratchet wrench having a drum with multiple drum teeth on an outer periphery and a tang drive recessed in the drum. The drum is retained with a ratchet drum ring. Conventional sockets are fitted to the drive tang.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,757 to Furey discloses a high torque socket open-ended ratchet wrench with a split ring-like socket head and expandable yoke. Secured to each socket member is a curved ratchet which, in combination, define a continuous ratchet wheel. Each curved ratchet includes a series of teeth for engaging a pawl carried on the fixed yoke member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,468 to Lee discloses a drive wheel having peripheral teeth on the outer surface which are engaged by a pawl and inner axial teeth about an opening in the drive wheel. A plurality of sockets are provided, each having peripheral teeth cooperating with the inner axial teeth of the drive wheel and retained in the wrench by a pair of ring detents. The replaceable sockets have teeth internally and externally.
The following disclose wrenches which have teeth around the periphery of a socket.
Cummings et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,077 disclose a sprocket formed with teeth on the outer periphery which is rotatably held in apertures between head portions.
Shiel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,720 discloses a socket wrench and set wherein a hollow drive ring is retained in the annular head with a through opening and is rotatable in both directions. It has a ratcheted outer peripheral portion with teeth and an interior female drive ring portion with a prismatic driving inner periphery at one end and a circular cylindrical inner periphery at the other end joined by a flat shelf. A ratcheted pawl is pivotly mounted on the handle for engagement with the ratcheted outer peripheral portion. A series of removable sockets is provided. Each removable socket has corner edges crossed by recesses to permit engagement by a retention ring which is received in an annular recess within the drive ring.
Anderson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,288 disclose a power driven replacement socket ratchet wrench. The sockets have a splined tooth exterior of the same cross-sectional dimension to be received in a socket retainer ring in the head. A groove is formed on the exterior of the socket, the groove aligning with retainer lugs on the retainer ring. The retainer lugs and groove permit retention and removal of the socket of various bores to be used with a corresponding size nut. The socket has a center opening so that the socket can be slid down along an elongated stud to engage a nut. A driven pawl member engages the teeth on the outer surface of the socket.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,875 to Kim discloses a socket wrench having a main socket member in the handle. Within the main socket member, is a main outer socket, a plurality of main socket units and auxiliary socket units, which are concentric with one another. Each socket has teeth portions on the inner and outer circumferential surfaces.
However, none of the references suggest nor disclose a ratchet wrench which combines a drive socket with gear teeth in an integral unit to provide a low profile wrench.
Patent application Ser. No. 08/760,734 to Arnold filed Dec. 5, 1996, discloses a pawl module to be used in a ratchet wrench with sockets having gear teeth on an external portion of the socket. Patent application Ser. No. 08/888/314 to be assigned to Arnold filed Jul. 14, 1997, discloses a plastic identification insert on sockets having external gear teeth.
Thus, there exists a need for a low profile ratchet wrench which has replaceable sockets to fit a plurality of fasteners, and which has gear teeth integral with the socket.